Sudan jails two Egyptians for blasphemy

December 17, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — A Khartoum court has sentenced two Egyptians to six months in prison for marketing a book that is deemed offensive to Aisha, one of Prophet Mohammed’s wives, local press reported on Monday.

Abdel Fattah Abdel Raouf and Mahrous Mohammed Abdel Aziz were sentenced on Sunday under article 125 of Sudan’s penal code, the same section under which U.K. teacher Gillian Gibbons was convicted after allowing her class to name a teddy bear Mohammed, the daily Al-Rai al-Am reported.

Justice Minister Mohammed Ali al-Mardhi said Dec. 11 following the pair’s arrest that they were guilty of bringing over the book entitled "Aisha, mother of believers, devoured her sons" from bookseller and publisher Madbouli in Egypt and selling it in Sudan.

"The book contains blasphemous passages and particularly despicable offenses to the prophet and to the mother of believers," as Aisha is often called, Mardhi said at the time.

Under article 125, the two could have faced 40 lashes and a fine, as well as the jail sentence.

On Nov. 29, Gillian Gibbons was sentenced to 15 days in prison for insulting religion but after spending eight days in custody, she was pardoned by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir following the mediation of two U.K. Muslim peers.

(AFP)

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18 December 2007 07:28, by Monye Jur

I doubt whether you Sudanese Muslims are really worshiping God the real creator of heaven and earth. Why don’t you raise this case of blasphemes against the Egyptian author instead of arresting the innocent sellers who are just selling those books for the sake of money only.

Few days back a British teacher was arrested and jailed for the same issue of blasphemes, are you (Sudanese Muslims) wanted to prove to the whole world that you are the real Muslims? Why are people trying to temper and defend God himself? Is the Muslim God alone not able to defend himself? Why then are you worshiping him if he cannot defend his name? You the Sudanese Muslims have to revise your way of religion otherwise one day you will find this sharia of yours will take you to hell with your dead prophet

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